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Jilly_in_VA

(9,940 posts)
Wed Feb 23, 2022, 10:08 AM Feb 2022

Excuses, Excuses (shortages)

My husband told me last night that the latest "reason" he has heard for the shortage of saltine crackers, which is apparently nationwide, has to to with a strike sometime last year that affected the makers of Ritz crackers, Oreos, saltines, and other crackers and cookies. Ya know, it's funny, but I have seen NO lack of Ritz crackers, Oreos, Wheat Thins, Triscuits, etc. That got me to thinking. And I think the strike "excuse" is bull pucky. (Thanks, Rachel, for that expression!)

As many of you know, I'm a retired RN. I have lived through numerous "drug shortages", and it was always the cheap stuff....Solu-Medrol, the cheaper of the anti-nausea drugs, the cheaper antibiotics, etc. That started around 1999. Even certain types of insulin, in my later years in nursing. Stuff Big Pharma wasn't making huge profits on any more. There would be a "shortage" until Big Pharma figured out how they could jigger the formula, get a new patent, or maybe just withhold the drug long enough to raise the price. In other words, artificial shortages.

That's what I think is going on with saltine crackers. They're the cheapest thing this company makes. They want to raise the price. They can't fool with the patent, because there is none. So, withhold manufacture until there's more demand, then release at a much higher price. IOW, an artificial shortage. I'm about to break my promise to myself and check the Goya aisle for one of their big cans. Maybe they use a different manufacturer.

The supposed excuse for the shortage of cat food is a lack of aluminum cans. Uh-huh.

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Excuses, Excuses (shortages) (Original Post) Jilly_in_VA Feb 2022 OP
Spot on. multigraincracker Feb 2022 #1
Why would a manufacturer of saltines feel a need to go through all of that ? MichMan Feb 2022 #2
They think it will increase demand n/t Jilly_in_VA Feb 2022 #3

multigraincracker

(32,632 posts)
1. Spot on.
Wed Feb 23, 2022, 10:24 AM
Feb 2022

I use injectable DiphenhydrAMINE for anaphylactic reactions. Kept me out of the ER for many years. Would get it the pharmacy at Krogers and CVS. Then about 6 years ago they all told me it was no longer available. I went into a small independent drug store and was talking to the Druggist and ask him if he could fill a script for it, and he said sure. When I picked it up, I asked about is and he told me the big stores don't want bother with it because it is so cheap that they don't make any money on it. I have changed all of my scripts to that store.




MichMan

(11,864 posts)
2. Why would a manufacturer of saltines feel a need to go through all of that ?
Wed Feb 23, 2022, 11:04 AM
Feb 2022

They could just announce a price increase at any time if they felt it made business sense.

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